Pages

Tuesday, November 3, 2009

Polpettine - Tuscan Meatballs

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is another simple entree for 2 or 3 people. The recipe can, of course, be doubled or tripled if necessary. The meatballs are easy to make but for a robust flavor that speaks of Tuscany, they should be refrigerated for at least an hour before they are sauteed. The food of Tuscany is really quite simple and it relies heavily on the olive oil of the region, a unique salt-free bread called pane Toscano and white beans that are cooked in a clay pot that's called a fiasco. I've had fiascoes in my kitchen but they weren't clay pots. Tradition plays an important role in all aspects of Tuscan life and extends to food that they eat. The Tuscans are a frugal lot. Nancy Jenkins, the author of Flavors of Tuscany, calls them "the Yankees of Italy" because they are as plainspoken, forthright and as penny pinching as any New Englander she has met. Polpettine were originally made from leftover meat that was finely chopped and mixed with stale bread to extend them to feed all who assembled at the family table. The lemon sauce that's served with them, while scant, is lovely. Here's the recipe to feed those who assemble at your table.

Cook's note: While this can be served with pasta, that is not a traditional accompaniment in Tuscany. I serve this with white beans and rosemary or roasted new potatoes. I also like to serve a great bread with this to mop up the lemon sauce.

Mary, I can't wait to try these. I love the cooking information that you give with your recipes. It is good to know how you can serve these meatballs without pasta! Thanks for contributing and have a wonderful day!

Good morning, dear heart. It is 8:30 here, i haven't had breakfast yet and now....I want meatballs for my morning meal! :)This sounds just delightful. Italian parsley? Never have I heard of it. Will just regular parsley work? I'm pretty sure we don't have the fresh Italian parsley in our stores here.I would love to try this recipe soon....and will !!Hope your day is starting off on a great note!!xo bj

I like how simple this recipe is, and that you always keep in mind the small family meal. The lemon sauce is certainly an interesting deviation from the usual meatball sauces we normally see. Gotta try this someday!

Site Meter

Privacy Policy

This blog does not share personal information with third-parties nor does it store information about your visit for use other than to analyze content performance through the use of cookies, which you can turn off at anytime by modifying your Internet browser's settings. Third party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on a a users prior visits to this website. Google's use of the DoubleClick cookie enables it and its partners to serve ads. This blog is not responsible for the republishing of the content found here on other Web sites or media without the owners permission. This privacy policy is subject to change without notice